If all the power in Ireland went out for two months

Fukuyama

Watching this atm. It's about a possible cyber attack that'd knock out the electrical grid of a country. It's a very real threat even though it is well protected against.

How do you think Ireland would stand up?

There'd be no tea at all. No Late Late Show.

On the more serious side of things:

No running water.
No phones (and line and mobile)
No Internet (sweet jeebus)
Food supplies would run out
Security systems all knocked out (everything from house alarms to bank systems)


I reckon we'd all stay put for a few days. Maybe even have a little community awakening - sing song, barbecues, pints etc... as we all remember there's life outside of Netflix.

Then, after about a week, we'd all be ripping each others heads off on O'Connell street to raid Pennys before storming supermarkets.

How would you get on?

The Backwards Man

We'd all be in the dark.

Well, not me, I have a genny.

hansfrei

Do the ESB even have internet?

Also, Luke warm Flanagan would be all "I told you so --- blah blah --- turf--- blah blah "

Fukuyama

The Backwards Man wrote: »

We'd all be in the dark.

Well, not me, I have a genny.

Me and my possy would arrive to steal your genny. And your wife.

The Backwards Man

Dean0088 wrote: »

Me and my possy would arrive to steal your genny. And your wife.

It's fierce noisy, it would burst your eardrums. Drinks diesel like a fish too.

And the generator is safely locked away underground.

mattjack

Dean0088 wrote: »

Me and my possy would arrive to steal your genny. And your wife.

I'd arrive shortly afterwards with my posse and steal the genny , his wife and your possy.

theblaqueguy

I would head up to my local Dunnes or tesco with a wheelybin and fill it up with the essential supplies I need I would also craft some deadly weapons to fend off any attackers that come after my supplies

galwayrush

Fine as long as I don't run out of batteries and bullets.

Filibuster

This happened in the 70's when the unions went on on strike and got their €100k average salary they have today.

Karl Stein

I have anti-Triffid spray so I'd be grand.

downonthefarm

there would be many grower with their meds

PizzamanIRL

I hate when electricity goes. I know it's terrible to say but I don't know what to do with myself. Makes me realise how much I actually depend on some things.

blaze1

Would love it in fairness.

Back to basics.

hansfrei

galwayrush wrote: »

Fine as long as I don't run out of batteries and bullets.

When the batteries run out you should try the old fashioned ride.

Prodgey

hansfrei wrote: »

When the batteries run out you should try the old fashioned ride.

Then she can go hands frei

looksee

In the seventies there were fuel crises, strikes - electricity and bank - and total chaos for a good while, I can't remember but it seemed to go on for ages. We didn't have any computer stuff to worry about so that wasn't an issue. However power went off several times a week for maybe 8 hours. We got used to using oil lamps, candles and camping gas stoves. No fridge, freezer or tv, as I recall really only the freezer was a problem. The tv was RTE 1 so it wasn't really a big deal! Queues for petrol were a problem and led to a good few problems. We had two toddlers at the time, but I don't recall any big problems, just a bit of minor inconvenience.

I still keep a candle and matches on the kitchen window-ledge though, prefer a gas cooker, and keep the open fire available even though we don't use it at the moment.

The situation now would be completely different as everything is so computerised that there would be serious knock-on effects. So many things just would not work - from most people's work to petrol stations to water supplies, public lighting, hospitals, pretty well everything!

Eutow

Dean0088 wrote: »

Watching this atm. It's about a possible cyber attack that'd knock out the electrical grid of a country. It's a very real threat even though it is well protected against.

How do you think Ireland would stand up?

There'd be no tea at all. No Late Late Show.

On the more serious side of things:

No running water.
No phones (and line and mobile)
No Internet (sweet jeebus)
Food supplies would run out
Security systems all knocked out (everything from house alarms to bank systems)


I reckon we'd all stay put for a few days. Maybe even have a little community awakening - sing song, barbecues, pints etc... as we all remember there's life outside of Netflix.

Then, after about a week, we'd all be ripping each others heads off on O'Connell street to raid Pennys before storming supermarkets.

How would you get on?

What, I will have to avail of a tent with a cardboard computer where an unseen person displays crudely drawn pictures of Japanese girls puking into each others mouths.

Teyla Emmagan

There'd be no work!!!!!! Not for me anyway, mwahahahahahahaha!!!!

Fresh Pots

People would always find a way to make tea.

Sam Kade

Rocket stove for cooking it can be made out of tin cans and fueled with twigs
Solar lights
A small wind turbine would keep a laptop charged

Frosty McSnowballs

I would kill everyone

Rayne Wooney

I can power the house with potatoes, it'll be grand

Fukuyama

Sam Kade wrote: »

Rocket stove for cooking it can be made out of tin cans and fueled with twigs
Solar lights
A small wind turbine would keep a laptop charged

Except you'll have no internet. :pac:

hfallada

People in cities wouldn't have a clue what to do. But my grandparents in the west regularly have massive power outages and survive.

Zillah

I think it would be time to crack open each others' skulls and feast on the goo inside.

Cedrus

Filibuster wrote: »

This happened in the 70's when the unions went on on strike and got their €100k average salary they have today.

In Cork (and maybe elsewhere) the strikers were throwing chains over the high voltage lines to short them out, nothing as fancy as a cyber attack

Sam Kade

Dean0088 wrote: »

Except you'll have no internet. :pac:

True you could just look at your saved material and dream about the time you had Internet.

pajor

Rob the local filling station of all the gas cylinders!

Duckworth_Luas

Whereas the rest of the world would end up like the movie The Road we'd actually be grand!

thee glitz

looksee wrote: »

In the seventies...

Many a fine rant about how good we have it today starts with this.
I heard there was a tp shortage and all.

petrolcan

Any opportunity to break out the invincible Tilley Lamp!

Heat, light and that satisfying hiss

looksee

thee glitz wrote: »

Many a fine rant about how good we have it today starts with this.
I heard there was a tp shortage and all.

I don't think I was doing any ranting? In fact I did say that in spite of all the hassle, it only seemed like an inconvenience, rather than a major issue. In this particular case the 'how good we have it' would make a similar situation seem much more significant. Tbh I am not sure what point you are making?

(tp shortage?)

hansfrei

Basin of cold water for a wash in the morning. Good aul days

Ruu

Could still go for a dance at the crossroads!

dr.bollocko

Solar powered iPhone charger.

I might actually read all those free ibooks I downloaded to make myself look smarter.

Manach

Well, the Greens would get there environmental pollution targets met.

DanWall

Why would we not have food if the electric went off? delivery vans would still deliver etc, we would not have any oil or gas heating. If we lost our fuel supplies that would be worse because there would be no transport, if you need your car to get to the shops, buses and trains would stop.

Rho b

As a child I remember the fuel crises in the 70's, lots of arguments in queues outside petrol stations. We had no electricity at home for nearly 2 weeks during the big snow in the 80's and we survived. My mam is in her mid eighties and every autumn she still stocks up on flour, porridge, tinned rice, fish etc. Also makes sure there is a full bottle of gas on standby.
Having an open hearth fire is also an advantage even if you seldom use it.
I think water supply would be most peoples problem unless you live near an open well.

razorgil

time to break out all the old mb games...downfall, operation, guess who, the game of life, twister, only in daylight you understand...

_Kaiser_

I remember this happening in the late 80s/early 90s.

Candles everywhere and was great craic out on the road/estate. Simpler times!

LordSutch

Dean0088 wrote: »

If all the power in Ireland went out for two months

Candels/matches, oil lamps, gas lights, solar power, coal fires, gas fires, peat briquettes, extra duvets, AGA stoves, hot water bottles, layers of clothes, coats indoors, wind up radios, reading books, playing board games, monopoly by candle light, kettle with a whistle )

Two months is a long time without 'lecci' in the winter.

Dry Hopped

I have fond memories of the days in the 80's when the power would be cut. I don't remember any nights where the power was gone, but always remember the mornings where my Dad would boil a kettle of water on a gas stove out in the garage so we could make tea. School was more exciting those days as well. If the day was particularly dark and overcast then the teacher would put candles on the desk so we could continue to work. And a fire would be lit (yes, a small country school) as the electric radiators weren't working. We didn't even have twitter so there was no online outlet to post pithy updates on the plight.

Now we have deregulation of generation and an interconnector to the UK. So this almost certainly won't happen again. A book on the history of electricity supply and generation in this country, and the power of the ESB unions, would be an interesting one.

The Glass Key

Imagine living on the top story of a block of flats with no lift!

fasttalkerchat

LordSutch wrote: »

wind up radios

Long Wave?

SpaceTime

Thankfully, power grids are actually not that high tech and water services, gas etc are pretty low tech too at least in terms of IT and computers. A lot of things can be done manually. Mostly you'd be talking about computer systems that are about as online as your washing machine.
The technicians would be busy, but the whole grid could be kept alive easily enough.

The risk of major transaction networks failing or the telecommunications network being taken out would be far more worrying as that would result in financial turmoil as money is all virtual and totally dependent on them.

The Glass Key

fasttalkerchat wrote: »

Long Wave?

BBC Radio 4 :pac:

Tiddlypeeps

I'm finding it hard to imagine a scenario that would lead to a 2 month long power outage. Bar some sort of catastrophe that kills off most of the population and even then people would still find ways around it using generators and stuff.

LordSutch

fasttalkerchat wrote: »

Long Wave?

FM/AM/LW I guess?

The Glass Key

LordSutch wrote: »

FM/AM/LW I guess?

No power so no broadcasts on AM or FM you'd get from anywhere in Ireland?

So I hope you like BBC Radio 4.

LordSutch

The Glass Key wrote: »

No power so no broadcasts on AM or FM you'd get from anywhere in Ireland?

Oil powered generator?

The Glass Key

LordSutch wrote: »

Oil powered generator?

Very possibly but we are so reliant on electricity I'm not sure they'd even be able to get (pump) enough fuel for anything other than essentials what ever they are deemed to be.